Changing Language Usage

[thestrangequark]

^I'll chalk it up to two good sources (respective texts) and two unreliable sources (respective memories) in minor contention, then.

Yeah but my memory includes four years of an MA in English Language.

This is of course offset by senile dementia but they always say you remember the old stuff but not what happened an hour ago.

My one year of linguistics courses bow to your MA.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

The use of the past tense for "plead" - "pled" - has disappeared in favor of "pleaded."

 

[thestrangequark]

^I think that's one that is context specific, though. I never thought of it before, but "I pleaded with him," sounds more correct to me than "I pled with him," while in the context of law, "He pled guilty," sounds more correct than "he pleaded guilty." What a strange and interesting language we have!

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Pleaded guilty is used often now, which I think is weird (pled still seems preferred). Although, in other legal contexts, pleaded is used more often. So, even in the law, context matters more than it should.

 

[Deckerd]

The use of the past tense for "plead" - "pled" - has disappeared in favor of "pleaded."

Not in the UK so much, except in literature in the example tsq gave. One irregular verb that the US seems to have lost, at least in literature, is the past tense of to light. The number of times I've read lighted recently is, well, legion.

 

[thestrangequark]

^Really? I've never heard 'lighted' in place of 'lit.'

 

[Deckerd]

I read it all the time.

One thing that happens occasionally in US English is the irregularisation of regular verbs. Dive is a good example. I see the pt 'dove' a lot, as though it's the same irregular group as strive. Of course the pp of dive/dove is not diven, so the analogy breaks down there.

 

[thestrangequark]

^Interesting. "Lighted" is definitely not common in American English, though, except in a couple specific phrases. I'd say "He was in a lighted room," not "He was in a lit room," but I've never heard anyone say, "He lighted a fire."
Dove is definitely considered the past tense of dive, though.

 

[Deckerd]

While I'm on the subject, I remember being infuriated when Honey, I Shrunk the Kids came out.

 

[thestrangequark]

^

 

[iguana_tonante]

Irregular verbs are the bane of my existence.

 

[Shaytan]

I never bothered to learn them. I always pretended that my memory wasn't so good

 

[Deckerd]

The strive group are my favourite.

shrive, shrove, shriven

it sounds so medieval.

 

[iguana_tonante]

I usually pretend I learnt English from a drunken Ukrainian babushka. Which isn't too far from reality, actually.

 

[Deckerd]

I wrote an Honours paper on swa sceal man do as an underlying theme in Beowulf. It got me a first. The best thing about it is that English hasn't actually changed in 1500 years.

 

[ITL]

All of this analysis is giving me a nerdgasm. Thank you, peoples of this thread.

 

[Deckerd]

I can give you a linguistic analysis of your sentence ITL. That's borderline geek.

 

[ITL]

As long as it's not an F- I'll be happy.

 

[Deckerd]

Anyone can do it really[Norman]. One syllable[Greek] is usually[Norman] Old English (OE or Anglo Saxon). Other words can be guessed[Norman] at.

 

[scotpens]

While I'm on the subject, I remember being infuriated when Honey, I Shrunk the Kids came out.

That was a funny movie. The sequel, Honey, I Blew Up the Kid, stunk. I mean stank. Whatever.

I usually pretend I learnt English from a drunken Ukrainian babushka.

The past tense "learnt" is very British. Americans say "learned."

But you knew that, right?